Connecting the Dots: Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

April 26, 2019

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

This SAAM we wanted to help connect the dots between sexual violence and domestic violence. Indeed, research from the CDC shows us how many different forms of violence – from community violence, child abuse, gun violence, sexual violence, gang violence, and domestic violence – are connected, and often share the same root causes.

Within the domestic violence movement, we’ve seen in many
cases, the intersections of sexual and domestic violence. All too often,
victims of intimate partner violence are also victims of rape and sexual
violence; it’s common for abusive partners to sexually abuse their partners as
part of their power and control tactics. And although sexual assault laws have
been on the books for decades, most excluded rape by a spouse. This meant that
laws that said (in a very heteronormative lens) that rape by a spouse was not
actually rape. It wasn’t until 1989 that Maryland amended their statute to
clarify that marital rape is rape, and can be prosecuted as
such.

With a deeper understanding of ACES
and polyvictimization,
advocates in the field have come to understand that many survivors of domestic
violence are also survivors of childhood sexual violence as well, including
child sex trafficking, incest, and statutory rape. Youth who have been
physically abused by a dating partner are also more likely to have suffered
abuse as a child, been a victim of sexual assault, and witnessed violence in
their family (Hamby,
2012).

The root causes of sexual and domestic violence are similar:
cultural norms that support aggression, strict and harmful norms around
masculinity and femininity, high unemployment, poor parent-child attachment
relationships, and more are all shared risk factors for these crimes.

And while we have a lot of work still to do, we have made
tremendous progress – the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed 25 years
ago, in 1994. Since then, reporting of domestic violence has increased as much
as 51% nationally and all states have passed laws making stalking a crime and
have strengthened rape laws. The number of individuals killed by an intimate
partner has decreased by 34% for women and 57% for men. Overall, VAWA saved
$12.6 billion in its first six years alone, which underscores that domestic and
sexual violence are not only public health and safety issues, but have economic
repercussions as well. (NTF
2018).

“At its heart, Sexual Assault
Awareness Month is about more than awareness – our ultimate goal is prevention.
Since consent is a clear, concrete example of what it takes to end sexual
harassment, abuse and assault, it only made sense that this year’s theme center
on empowering all of us to put consent into practice. The campaign will
champion the power of asking — whether it be asking to hold someone’s hand, for
permission to share personal information with others, or if a partner is
interested in sex. I Ask is the statement by which individuals will demonstrate
that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday
interactions, and it will set an example for their partners, friends, and loved
ones. I Ask is the statement by which we will uplift the importance of consent
and transform it from being prescriptive to empowering (NSVRC).”

You can learn more about SAAM and download the SAAM Campaign
Resource Toolkit from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center here.